Filler Words

I am in the process of possible buying a new car. I am not in a hurry, and I am looking for the perfect pre owned deal. I have never been in this position before, and frankly with every single car I have ever bought, I always wondered if I could have done better, so this time I am being the proverbial pain in the ass shopper.

What this has done is put me in front of a lot of salesmen. And since I myself sell for a living, I am aware of mannerisms and techniques as I interact with various car salespeople. I find it fascinating.

I have made a list below of the "pet peeves" I have developed from my interactions, and have made sure I do not have them in my selling "vocabulary".

"Honestly" or "To be honest with you." This one is a big red flag for me. I know that it is a habit for many people, or just a filler, but it infers that there has been some previous dishonesty. It immediately raises suspicion, (even if it is subconscious).

"Obviously." This one is another filler word, but if you start to notice it, it is surprising how often some people use it. "At the end of the day" or "in effect" is similar. I had a salesman use "in effect" twenty six times in a fifteen minute conversation.

"No problem." (in response to thank you.) This one isn't a big deal, but it is a bit unprofessional. "You're welcome just sounds better.

New age words are my most recent pet peeve. Words like integrated, cutting edge, seamless, synergistic, or user-friendly. It seems like they may have been in some car salesman handbook, and everyone seems to be using them. Again once or twice is OK. But a few will beat you over the head with them.

Ok there is my little gripe-fest. Not really real estate related, but interesting none the less.

Am I the only one who notices this kind of stuff?

For more info go to my website: This site here

Inventory Rises With the Mecury

As is customary, real estate inventory here in Sullivan County has swelled as we have headed into spring. This is nothing new. Every year this happens. Sellers wait until the temperature rises and the snow melts. They then do the necessary touch-ups to the property, and call a real estate agent to list. I am happy with the new crop of homes this spring. There are some REALLY nice--priced right listings that have come on the market over the past few weeks.

302 Tannery Road $975K

This is a 125 acre piece (including the entire Forest Glen Lake)  in Forestburgh, adjacent to Merriwold. The structure is a bit dated, but in a charming summers-on-lake kind of way. It is also big, almost 2700 square feet. Yes the price tag is a bit pricey, but in my opinion well worth it. This has been owned by the same family for 50 years. Click here for more info.

128 Basket Road $449K 

This sprawling stream front gem is in Fremont Township which makes it a little further from the city, however the location of this property is well worth the extra minutes in the car. It is set on five acres, with Basket Brook (a year round trout stream) cascading by the rear of the property. The home has been refurbished, and everything is done tip-top. Catch dinner in your backyard! This is one of those properties that forces you to relax when you are here, and makes you reluctant to leave. Click here for more info.

56 Beaverbrook Road $299K

This is my listing. So perhaps I am a bit biased. However I have had two of the top brokers here in Sullivan County tell me that it is a great house, and they think it will sell quickly. It is a Adirondack style cabin on 9.5 very private acres and just steps from the home is Mill Pond. This is the quintessential lake front cabin in the woods. Very special property. Click here for more info.

127 Forestburgh Road $349K 

My final favorite new listing brings us back to Forestburgh. This area is always popular, because it is under that magic two hour window to the city. This charming old farmhouse dates back to 1780. It is set on 11 bucolic acres with a nice pond. The entire vibe of this property is peaceful serenity. Click here for more info.






Good, priced right inventory is what our area needs. The properties above are only a small sampling of the crop of great listings that have hit the Sullivan County real estate market in the last month or so. give me a call if you are looking for an upstate getaway. I can assist you in finding that dream home.

Cigarette Smoke

A major part of the first impression that buyers get when going into a house for the first time is the odor.  I have smelled all kinds of different aromas when showing houses--from the very good to the downright nauseating. Nothing can make a prospective buyer hurry from a home faster than a bad smell.

The two that I seem to encounter the most are pet smells and cigarettes. Both are fairly unpleasant, depending on the severity, but according to Regina Flores of ServPro, Cigarette smoke smell is much worse to get rid of.

"If the pet smell is your run of the mill shedding dog or cat, and the animal has not repeatedly done its "business" indoors, then simply removing the hair, and replacing the carpets will normally get rid of the animal smell." She says. "Cigarettes on the other hand infiltrates everything. I've seen yellow walls, practically dripping with nicotine. That is a much harder odor to get rid of."

I used to smoke. I smoked all through my twenties. And not that it is an excuse, because it was apparent back in the nineties that it was bad for you--but everyone seemed to smoke back then. At least everyone I knew.  You could smoke in restaurants,  in hotel rooms, hell they had just stopped allowing you to smoke on domestic flights. EVERYTHING used to smell like cigarettes. I never noticed it.

But now I am one of those horrible reformed smokers that hates the smell of it. I glower at any smoker who I deem has ventured too close to my personal space. I applaud every new anti-smoking law, and I look with a bit of pity at those huddled outside still puffing away. Smoking is so twenty years ago.

  And the smell is the first thing I notice when I go into a house. There really are few smells that are as bad as stale cigarettes in a home that has been shut up for awhile.  And according to the experts in odors. Getting rid of the smell can cost you thousands of dollars.

"In real bad cases," says Flores, "Getting rid of carpets and repainting won't do the trick." you have to scrub all the tar off the walls. Then you prime the wall with an alcohol based solvent before repainting. Also the tar will seep through the carpet and into the subfloor, which will need to be treated with a heavy duty solvent as well. And if there is any type of duct work in the house? Many times all the will need to be replaced to bring the odor under control."

Jeff Williams of KW NYC saw an apartments sell for 20% less than its none smoke contaminated duplicate. A bad habit that cost the seller over fifty thousand dollars.

So besides depreciating your health, smoking  can depreciate the value of your home. Just another reason to give up the smokes.